Shojo Faith
We sometimes hear people criticize religions in
the following way: "Properly speaking, individuals
who are engaged in spiritual work, such as the heads
of churches and high ranking ministers, should live
as frugally as possible. They should be content with
coarse clothing and meager meals, should live in
humble abodes, and should walk or use public
transportation when they have to go out somewhere."
It is true that in olden days the founders of religions
and other spiritual leaders experienced all kind of
hardships as they tried to spread their teachings.
Wearing staw sandals, they went out alone and
preached on the streets. Sometimes they slept in
the fields, and sometimes they went up into the
mountains where they followed such ascetic practices
as fasting or standing beneath waterfalls. Some
were imprisoned or banished to distant lands. Really,
when we read about the hardships these spiritual
individuals experienced, we cannot but be moved to
tears. After all their efforts, the only thing they could
accomplish in their particular lifetimes was to establish
their teachings within very limited areas. It was only
after several generations that their teachings spread
to become nationwide. Compared with today's
conveniences, the adverse circumstances they
endured all their lives are beyond our imagination.
Such circumstances as these have been impressed
on the minds of people in general for so long that
it is quite understandable that new religions today,
when seen through such "colored spectacles,"
are
often misunderstood.
This kind of attitude is what we call Shojo. Its
origin is very old, for it has come from the
Brahmanism of India, which existed before the
birth of Shakymuni Buddha. The main goal of this
teaching is the attainment of self-realization through
the practice of asceticism. It is reported that, though
few, there are still fakirs or ascetic devotees of
Brahmanism in some parts of India even today.
They are said to emit quite strong spiritual power
and to work miracles. I think Mahatma Gandhi
practiced fasting because he was a follower of
Brahmanism when he was young.
Let me tell you an interesting story concerning
this situation, which led Shakyamuni Buddha
to establish 84,000 sutras. As Buddha studied
the state of India, where Brahmanism was in
vogue, he learned that most people believed
they had to practice asceticism in order to attain
enlightenment; they thought that was the only
way to follow the right spiritual path. The pictures
and sculptures of arhats which still exist in many
parts of Japan show how these individuals practiced
religious austerities, so we can imagine what kind
of disciplines they endured. The sight of their
suffering was simply too much for Shakyamuni's
great, merciful heart. This is why he began to teach
sutras as an easier way to attain enlightenment.
He said that people could reach the state of
enlightenment simply by reciting these sutras
over and over. Needless to say, the people of India
were overjoyed when they realized this for the first
time. They naturally came to hold the Buddha in
great reverence and adoration as the most
wonderful of all saints. Thus Buddhism spread
throughout India. Of all the salvation work achieved
by Shakyamuni Buddha, this was his greatest.
In this sense, you can see that the Shojo attitude
of faith in which asceticism is practiced goes
against the Buddha's wish, which was full of
mercy. It leans toward Brahmanism, which was
the Buddha's object of salvation, so you see how
mistaken such an attitude is. I believe Shakyamuni
Buddha himself must feel sad in the spiritual
realm of Buddhistic paradise when he sees his
followers doing such things. You must know how
wrong, how anachronistic a Shojo attitude is.
When we consider this from a different viewpoint,
we see that in spreading a religious philosophy
today, because in the developments in transportation
and techniques of publishing, what took many years
in olden times can now be accomplished in a single
day. So, we should adapt ourselves to the present
and utilize all the modern conveniences as much
as possible. If religion continued to adhere to the
ways of ancient people, it is obvious that its true
objective could never be achieved. The greatest
proof of this can be seen in the fact that some of
the old orthodox religions are separating from the
progress of the times.
When people study the spiritual activities of our
church, those with Shojo views of religion are
struck only with wonder, but we cannot expect
them to have a deep perception of the true meaning
of our work.
If that was all there was to it, we would have
nothing to object to, but unfortunately there are
some individuals who criticize me personally, too,
saying that I am living in a palatial residence or
that my lifestyle is too luxurious for a spiritual
leader.
All of our administration is being carried on with
donations made by our members. If officials of the
church lived according to the standards of those who
have Shojo faith and criticize us, we would have to
let food donated by members spoil and simply throw
it into trash cans. The various articles donated cannot
be sold or returned. Houses are donated by members
from the heart, so we cannot help using them. On
the contrary, such things make it possible for us to
advance the great work of helping to save humanity.
When you think about these matters, you realize how
mistaken the views of Shojo people are.
Since the ideal of our church is the establishment
of a world free from disease, poverty and conflict,
all our members who follow the teachings and strive
to live in harmony with the laws can grow healthier,
can be blessed with material wealth, and can live with
greater and greater harmony and joy.
For those that live miserable lives in this hell-like
society, such good things are hard even to imagine,
so they deny that they are possible. They must think
that we use such promises as bait to lure the unwary!
They may regard the prototypes of paradise on earth
which we are now constructing as merely luxurious
mansions and gardens.
Our aim, however, is to help people get away from
their world of suffering of suffering once in a while,
to invite them to a paradise-like place free from all
impurities where they can be bathed in a spiritual
atmosphere full of truth, virtue and beauty. We also
wish to help develop highly worth-while feelings in
them while they are permeated with the joy of being
surrounded by such an atmosphere.
I don"t need to dwell on how important such facilities
are for the people of today. Living in the atmosphere
of the world as it is,people in general become coarse,
the young become degenerate. Indeed, wherever we go
we see indications of social evil. In this state of affairs,
I don"t think it is an exaggeration to say that
our
prototypes of paradise on earth are oases for people
living in the world today. When they come to truly realize
the aim of our work, which is far reaching and inspiring,
they should all express an approval from the heart rather
than voicing any adverse criticism.
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